


Summoning Shishou

by InebriatedCaffeineImbiber



Category: Fate/Grand Order
Genre: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-09-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:08:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24320317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InebriatedCaffeineImbiber/pseuds/InebriatedCaffeineImbiber
Summary: A necessity rises to summon another Lancer, with Cu being his only one. A small travel to the Summoning Room with Cu in tow, what would possibly go wrong? Maybe summoning the one woman that would scare Cu more than Medb, perhaps?
Comments: 3
Kudos: 20





	1. The Summoning

“Yo Master, where are you going?” A male voice come up from behind Ritsuka, forcing him to turn around to see who the owner was. There standing with a hand on his hip, was Cu Chulainn, Ireland’s Child of Light.

“Oh hey Cu, I was just about to head to the Summoning Room, I’m hoping to get another Lancer cause I feel bad for you being the only Lancer I have. You really did kinda carry us throughout the fights with those annoying Archers.” Ritsuka sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

“Hey don’t sweat it Master, it’s nice being reliable every now and then. But if you must you must I suppose. Hey, mind if I come with? I’m always interested in meeting people similar to me.”

“Yeah of course, I don’t have a problem with that at all. Come on, Da Vinci, Roman and Mash are already waiting for us.” Ritsuka urged as he sped up his walking, Cu catching up and keeping pace.

The doors slid open to a room lit up only but soft dark blue lighting. In the centre laid Mash’s shield, runes and circles of the summoning ritual inscribed into the floor all around it.

“Geez no matter how often I see it, I never get tired of seeing the intricacies of these runes.” Cu said admirably.

“I thought you forgone the use of runes?” Ritsuka asked, confused.

“Not completely. While I have kinda fallen out of practise with the things, I can still admire the work can’t I?”

“Can’t argue with that. Mash, how is it looking?” He said, turning to his kouhai who looked up at him adoringly.

“Everything is prepared for summoning Senpai. We’ve already pre-emptively sacrificed the necessary amount of Saint Quartz to power this summoning.” Mash affirmed, bouncing on foot to the other in excitement. “Good luck!” She giggled, running over next to Romani.

Ritsuka smiled at her before turning his attention to the summoning circle. He cleared his throat and blew a prayer into his hand, releasing it and clenching his fist. He opened his eyes to look at the circle, and thus began the incantation.

_Wind, Steel, Silver. Thus shall be the essence._

_Let my word, my soul, my body and my will be the bulwark of this contract._

_My will is that of a wall that has stood against a never ending wind, neither shall it fall._

_Let the heaven's open up and beseech my prayer worthy._

_The garden of Avalon is but a destination to the dream._

_Let it be declared now; your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword._

_Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail._

_Answer, if you would submit to this will and this truth._

_An oath shall be sworn here._

_I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven;_

_I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell._

_From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power,_

_come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!_

It wasn’t an original chant, Ritsuka having heard it before in his training but he felt as if he should make the incantation personal yet still workable. While the difference might be negligible, he still felt that he was speaking from his heart, and that the spirit he was about to summon would respect that.

In front of Ritsuka the shield was laid out. Stars formed in the middle of the shield and spread out into three sets of rows; the confirmation of a Servant summon. The stars began to spin fast enough that they created rings, the stars began to spark a gold/rainbow colour before they all coalesced together and exploded outwards. A large font of mana blasting the surface of the shield and radiated outward with enough force to ruffle his clothes.

He blocked his eyesight from the nearly blinding light as he felt the force subdue. A few seconds later, he blinked his vision back and saw the fruits of his labour.

There stood an objectively beautiful tall woman in a purple body suit, red spear in her hand.

Out from a cloth covering her mouth came a melodious voice. “I have arrived from the Land of Shadows. I am Scáth-.” She suddenly stopped as her attention came to the other Lancer in the room.

Cu Chulainn stood there like a dear in headlights. “Uhhh… Yo Master, I’m gonna just head out a bit, alright?” He said, before turning around.

“Cu Chulainn.” That voice and those words combined together made him feel as if Gae Bolg pierced his chest.

“Uhh hey… Scath- I mean Shishou! H-how is it?” He said, chuckling nervously.

Ritsuka looked at the two. ‘What is going on here?’

“So you are here too, Cu Chulainn?” She said, her voice either melodious or chilling depending on who listened.

“I-I suppose so. And I guess you’re here as well Teach…” Cu nervously smiled.

She stepped off the shield and approached Cu very closely, staring at him with eyes as red as her spear. “So, you have matured somewhat… That is at least comforting.”

“Scathach, while I do respect the relationship you may have with Cu Chulainn, may I ask you to step back and stop harassing him?” Ritsuka said firmly, stepping forward slightly.

Scathach stared at Cu for a second longer before turning back to Ritsuka, her hand on her hip while her spear, not having been unsummoned, hung loosely in the other. “You presume to command the Queen of the Land of Shadows, young man?” Her stare pierced his heart easier than it did Cu.

Ritsuka clenched his fist unconsciously to keep his arm from shaking. “I am the Master of Chaldea and I have summoned you to assist me in restoring Humanity. Having accepted the summons, I assume you agreed to my conditions and my cause, but now I am unsure. So I will offer you the choice: Either continue to serve me in a master and servant relationship or you are more than welcome to be unsummoned and return to your Land.” Ritsuka stood his ground, staring back at her glare even though he felt his heart in his throat.

She reached upwards to remove the face mask and revealed a fair face that bore authority and was strict yet beautiful. She stared at him for a while longer, the tension in the room being palpable. Finally coming to a decision, she nodded with a slight smile. “Excellent, you aren’t a Master nor a man who would baulk easily at any challenge or overwhelming force. You will provide an interesting form of entertainment for me.”

“You accept my contract?” Ritsuka said, wanting to be sure.

“Yes I do, young Master.” She confirmed.

His right hand seared with pain momentarily as the contract was signed in something deeper than ink. He sighed and looked at his Command Seals before looking back up again, finding Scathach gone. “Where did she go?”

“She left to explore Chaldea.” Cu said.

“How do you know that?” Ritsuka asked, amazed.

“She’s my old teach, I know her just as much as she knows me, I think.” Cu said, suddenly unsure of himself before disappearing.

As he left, the room considerably lightened. Mash came over to peer at Ritsuka closely. “Senpai, are you okay?”

He chuckled lightly. “Yeah kinda, felt like I was walking on a tight rope. But no time to brood, we’ve gotta start heading into the second Singularity, right?”

She nodded. “Right Senpai, shall I go get ready?”

“Please, I’ll meet you guys there soon.” He said, leaving the room and rubbing his forehead.

On his travels he ran into Boudica, who couldn’t be happier to see him. “Oh hello Master! How are you?” She said before engulfing him in a warm and soft hug that’d make any man melt.

And melt he did. “Ahhh Boudica… Your hugs are the best uwahaha.” He murmured into the embrace.

“My my Master, you seem to be exhausted. Don’t tell me you haven’t been resting enough?” She said, worriedly.

“N-no Boudica… It’s just I met a rather intense servant.”

“Oh is it that purple haired woman?” She asked, rubbing Ritsuka’s head.

“Yup… Felt like I was going to die.”

She giggled slightly. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone hurt you in any way.” She cooed.

“Thank you Boudica…” He murmured into the hug.

She held the hug for a little while longer before letting him go. “Now while I might not look like it, I am quite busy so I’m going to have to leave you for a bit.” She pouted.

“It’s ok Boudica… I’ll get through this.” Ritsuka said, already longing for the absolute hug energy she gave off.

“Good luck Master!” She said with a smile, disappearing down the hallway.

Ritsuka sighed before looking at his watch, realising that it was starting to get late. ‘Should I get dinner? I don’t exactly feel hungry…’ Ritsuka debated in his mind before shrugging and heading to bed.

He slipped on casual clothes and slid underneath the warm blankets and moved to his side before closing his eyes, sleeping claiming his quickly.

His dreams were harsh and unfiltered. The scene of the massacre of the explosion kept replaying in his mind. He would get up to shouting for any survivors before the dream would restart, having him experience the hell again.

He grew more and more restless before he jerked himself awake to the smell of lavender and the feeling of soft hair. Opening his eyes, he saw the lavender coloured hair of Mash, obviously she must’ve slipped in when he was asleep as she had grown into that habit.

Careful not to wake her up, he disentangled himself from her, patting her head for being such a good kouhai, and left the room in gym clothes.

He began walking to the gym before passing the Simulation Room and had an idea. He entered, looking around. “Simulation Room, give me a… I suppose a dojo? A training room? I dunno whatever seems best. Room to be 20 metres by 20 metres. Give me a rack of different weapons and give me a few indestructible dummies.”

“Confirming voice authorisation, Fujimaru Ritsuka, confirmed. Calculating… Request confirmed. Starting simulation.”

Ritsuka closed his eyes and breathed out. When he opened there was a training dojo in front of him in the most realistic sense. There were racks of different weapons and items hanging on them.

He picked up a sword and sighed. He felt rather silly because no matter how good he became or how much he trained; he would never be able to go up against the enemies his Servants fight.

He picked up a one handed sword and di a couple of practise swings to get the blood flowing and to warm up. He didn’t know any techniques and he certainly did not know how to use one properly, but he didn’t care as it was purely meant for stress relief and to get a bit of exercise.

“Though I wouldn’t mind having someone train me.” He murmured, his mind unconsciously going back to Cu, and then to Scathach. “Ahhh now you’re thinking fairy tales Ritsuka.” He sighed and got back to carefully swinging this sword.

_In the Command Room_

Da Vinci sighed as she sat back in her chair with a fresh cup of coffee. It’s a strange thing, since Servants don’t get tired like humans do and they don’t necessarily have to sleep, but Da Vinci garnered this habit from her interactions funnily enough.

As she pondered this form of humanity she had taken, she casted a glance at the security monitors. All the halls were empty except for a few servants who prefer a night life and while the cameras didn’t show it, staff members were in bed sound asleep.

What did grab her attention was the monitoring cameras in the Simulation Room detecting movement. Sighing she glanced over for a better picture as she took a sip from her cup, her lips curling up in a small smile. “At it again are you, Ritsuka?” She chuckled slightly as she sat back and watched him for a while. “For such a young man to take on such a harsh responsibility, I still find it astonishing that you have the energy to do things like this.”

The door opened softly to let in a certain Queen, causing Da Vinci to look away from the monitors to address the newcomer. “Ah Scathach, it is nice to see you take an interesting in our little home.”

“It’s always prudent to familiarise yourself with a new place, I was just coming in here for some peace and quiet.”

“The halls or diner aren’t quiet enough for you?” Da Vinci asked, perplexed.

“Oh yes and no. Fergus is in the diner trying to have an arm wrestle with Lu Bu and it echoes somewhat through said halls. I just like to come here since it’s quiet, despite the tiny chirps or beeps, the thrumming feels me with… I don’t know.”

“The thrumming is soothing, isn’t it?” Da Vinci finished for her.

A nod. “Yes, I find it comforting, for some strange reason.”

“Not at all strange, there are some people who work here that find that the opposite of our peace and quiet is peace and quiet to them.” She smiled slightly.

“Mmmm. Mind if I ask you what you are doing?” Scathach asked, striding over gracefully.

Da Vinci turned back to the monitors, sipping her coffee. “Well when everyone is asleep, I keep watch of the monitors. I made Romani take a break, so it’s my job to make sure that no Servants try to do anything unruly.”

“And what of the Master?” Scathach inquired, leaning over to get a better view of the screen, her headpiece tinkling slightly.

“Ritsuka? Well normally he should be in bed but if you look at here.” She pointed to the cameras that monitor the Simulation Room. “He is trying to either make himself fall asleep, or he forgot his daily regimen.” She smirked.

Those red eyes stared at the moving form of her Master, taking in every detail of his skill and ability, or lack thereof. “How often has he done this?”

“Ever since he came back from his first Singularity. I think he developed the feeling of wanting to help others and not wanting to be a burden… No, I’m sure that those characteristics were intrinsic in him, it’s just now he has the energy, motivation and means to hone them.”

“And when was his first Singularity?”

“Fuyuki was the first one, and we had just finished Orleans.” Da Vinci rattled off on her fingers.

“Two Singularities of two completely different worlds, and he is still alive. Either that speaks to his tenacity and will to survive or he is blessed with such skilful Servants.” Scathach murmured.

Da Vinci gave a small life. “While he may look unassuming and completely bland, I will say this: There is no one else who would suit this job more than he.” Da Vinci said confidently.

“A reference from a genius such as you, that is very high praise. Oh hello, who is this?” She said, pointing to a blue haired man entering the Room. She knew who they were, she just wanted Da Vinci to answer.

“That would appear to be Cu Chulainn. Not to worry though, he does this regularly as well. He just stands there watching him without interrupting. Haven’t seen him try to teach Ritsuka though. I guess it’s more of an interest to watch how his Master is progressing.”

“That is a relief. It seems that he has matured enough to finally depend on people, and to become dependable himself… I might go and see this for myself.” Scathach said, straightening up and beginning to head out, before stopping at the door. “Da Vinci, might I ask you something?”

The genius turned around to face her, tilting her head. “Why do you think so highly of him? While I do admit that it is a tall order to put the Restoration of Humanity on his shoulders and he has performed admirably from what I’ve heard from Mash and the other Servants. But what makes him special to you? What drives you to praise him so highly?”

Da Vinci turned back to the monitors, looking back at Ritsuka. “Because he is the only innocent young man in a sea of treacherous mages. He is rather atypical of a mage, not really carrying any of the characteristics that you’d find in mages. He doesn’t see Servants as tools, he doesn’t see people below him as objects. I guess all I can see is a young man who has a heart of gold and the heart to care about people other than himself. He is selfless to a fault and is willing to help anyone even if they have wronged him in the past… He is refreshingly and naïvely human.”

Scathach pondered this before exiting, making her way to the Room.

_Back in the Simulation Room_

Ritsuka’s shirt stuck to him as he slowed down to a stop from his warmup. His muscles ached almost wonderfully as he put the short sword away and took a sip from a water bottle. He gave a sigh of appreciation as the cool liquid hit his parched throat, looking around at the rack. Suddenly, an idea came to him. “Computer, do you mind creating a facsimile of Gae Bolg?”

“The Gae Bolg wielded by Cu Chulainn, or Scathach?”

He blinked in confusion. There was a difference between the two?

“Umm by Scathach please.”

A shaft of light was appearing in front of him to form into the menacing red spear wielded by the Queen who would go on to train famous warriors like Cu Chulainn. Nervously he reached out and wrapped his fingers around the lance. It was heavy, heavier than he was expecting. It was as if the spear was made out of solid metal or something similar.

He gripped the spear in both hands and did a few practise swings, finding that he enjoyed the balance and weight. “This… this feels powerful.” He murmured.

He was so engrossed in it that he didn’t notice the door opening softly, Scathach stepping in to watch. She looked over at Cu Chulainn and walked over, standing next to him in quiet.

“I see you’ve made quite an impact on him.” Cu said in the barest whisper.

“What makes you say that?” She answered likewise.

“Well considering he’s wielding the Gae Bolg that you specifically wield. Even made that distinction when the computers asked him.” A small grin spread across his face.

Scathach’s face contorted slightly in confusion and concern. “Don’t tell me Cu Chulainn…” She whispered.

“Yes you might’ve made _that_ much of an impression on him…”

“But he is barely a man.”

“Neither was I when you took me in.”

“Yes but you had remarkable potential, and plus you badgered me until I gave in.”

“Aww how sweet. But this kid doesn’t? Lemme tell you something Teach, he’s never one to stand far back away from the fighting, he is in there with you, standing right behind you giving the right orders at the right time. He doesn’t shirk away from a fight.”

“I understand that, but you do realise what I eventually will have to do, right?”

“Yes, and it is how you deal with it that will dictate your relationship with him.”

“And what is your relation with him?”

“I’m like an older brother. I give a shit about him and he looks up to me, thinks that I’m cool. I mean we wouldn’t both be here if we didn’t give a damn about Humanity, and if he didn’t seem like a suitable master.”

Scathach had to concede to that point. “Would it break him?”

“For a time? Yes, but not completely. He’s seen some bad things… and I believe that he can bounce back given that people support him. But its like being rejected for the first time. It feels like your heart has been ripped out, that’s unavoidable. But I don’t think he’ll blame you for it. He knows the importance of his job too much to let things such as rejection get in the way of completing it.”

She sighed slightly, making Cu look at her in a candid manner. “I’m surprise you give such a damn, especially all over a kid.”

“You know I’m not heartless, and that I don’t like doing things like that. I may have been a tough and stern teacher but I still cared for you.”

“Yeah I guess you did, in your own way.” Cu agreed.

The two fell into a silence as they both watched Ristuka wield the spear clumsily.

“He’s not very skilled.” Scathach murmured.

“Aye, but he’s got the heart to keep going on and on and on. That’s the best part of him Teach, is that he never gives up if he thinks what he is doing is right. Why don’t you take him on as an apprentice?”

“You know I don’t do that anymore, and plus if I did that it’d stoke the fires of his affection of me even greater, and I’d imagine the heart break would be worse if I trained him but rejected him.”

“Aye that may be it as well… But he looks up to the both of us, and I think it’s our responsibility or at least obligation, to help him as best we can. Be that training him, fighting for him, or giving a shit about him.” Cu said as he left the room, leaving Scathach with Ritsuka.

She watched the young man for a while. “I’m sorry about what I will have to do.” She murmured quietly, before leaving Ritsuka alone.


	2. An Adventure in Unknown Fields

Ritsuka was chatting with Jeanne about his personal life for a bit. The maiden had sat down with him for breakfast for a bit of company, to which Ritsuka gratefully accepted.

“So, Master. How do you find the occupation?” Jeanne asked, her blue eyes shifting back to her breakfast of bacon and eggs.

“In all honesty? I kinda feel like the President, just without the importance.” He chuckled.

“Come now Master, you mustn’t always put yourself down like that. You’ve one of if not the most important person in the world right now, since you are the only capable Master currently.” She chided him.

“Yeah… currently… I dunno Jeanne it just feels like I’m a placeholder. Like as soon as one person from the teams gets woken up and healed back to full health, I’m going to be replaced. Cause let’s be honest here, the only reason why I’m a Master is cause I wasn’t in that explosion, and I’m the only one who is capable of maintaining contracts with Servants. Just a tool… just a cog.” He said glumly, staring down at his food.

“Mon seigneur, comment incroyable.” Jeanne murmured under her breath before looking back at Ritsuka. “Master, your summoning of me is by no means an accident. I won’t talk for the other Servants however when I heard your voice, I heard the utmost of conviction. I heard the voice of a young man who would’ve done anything, no matter the price, to achieve his goals. Your voice was _powerful_. It was filled with energy and truth. I could sense that no matter the hardships, you would be the Master I’d always follows. And that’s why I answered your summons.” Jeanne said at length but without a hint of doubt in her voice.

Ritsuka laid his head on the cool table, his ears and face burning a bright red due to the embarrassment of receiving such high praise from a bona fide Saint. In the end he knew what she was saying was right, but his mind kept getting plagued by thoughts of incompetence. “You know when you say it like that I can’t deny it.” He groaned.

“I know, and that’s why I said it the way I did.” She gave him a smile and giggled before going back to her breakfast. “And I can definitely say with authority that I would not anyone else to be my Master. I would refuse.”

He sighed and played with his food. “Did you ever have doubts, Jeanne?” He asked her.

“All the time. While I believe I was guided by God, there were times where I doubted that I made the right decision, or that I wasn’t right in a decision I was about to make. And it never left me, that doubt. I guess that comes with the territory of trying to save a whole nation and it’s people.” She rationalised.

“You are something else… Utterly amazing.” Ritsuka chuckled, looking back up at her.

She blushed but smiled all the same. “I appreciate the compliment Master, but I was just doing it because I loved my country and people.”

“I know, and that’s why you’re so amazing.” He teased.

She pouted and went back to eating, a comfortable silence falling between them, before an alarm sounded and the intercom crackled on. “Ritsuka Fujimaru, please come to the Command Room immediately.” Da Vinci could be heard over the intercom.

Ritsuka sighed and looked up at Jeanne. “Never a dull day for a Master?” She teased.

“Never.” He agreed as he stood up.

“Wait Master.” Jeanne said, stopping him in his tracks and causing him to turn back. As he did so, Jeanne stepped forward and embraced him in a hug. Ritsuka was overwhelmed and could only embrace her in return. “You are here right now for a reason, may not necessarily be biblical or holy, but you are here. And every Servant here respects and loves you in their own way, that I’m sure.” She said softly, causing Ritsuka to hold her tighter.

She giggled quietly. “While I do enjoy this Master, you have important work to do.” She smiled and let him go, tussling his hair. “Please… Don’t give up just yet, okay?” She said, touching his cheek.

He nodded before turning and running off, heading towards the Command Room.

Once there, everyone was at their consoles gathering data, finding details and consolidating information. The air was thick with conversation as Ritsuka hurried over to Da Vinci, Romani and Mash.

“What’s going on?” Ritsuka asked, already knowing what it was.

Romani was at the station, clicking away at the keyboard in double touch type as data compiled in front of him. “A Singularity, that’s what. And it seems to be Septem Rome, set in 60 AD.” He noted before standing up and pacing to Ritsuka. “This will be the same again with the past two Singularities, so no need to panic about any new orders.” He smiled.

“I think Senpai would be able to complete any mission that’s handed to him.” Mash said proudly.

“Hey now don’t put me too high up, it’ll get too cold.” Ritsuka joked, smiling at his Kouhai affectionately.

Romani chuckled. “Good to see you have your sense of humour still. I have to say I’m rather envious of you going to Rome, I wonder which Emperor you will meet.” He pondered.

“Well if history has anything to say, it’s highly likely he’ll meet either Caligula or Nero, or both. What an interesting prospect. I’m willing to bet that the Emperor’s and I have a lot in common.” She said smugly.

“What, being big headed and slacking off every time?” Ritsuka poked.

“Oh Master has horns now does he?” She smirked, eying him intensely.

“I just made a mistake didn’t I?” Ritsuka asked.

“Ohoho I’ll make you regret it later. A genius that I am will make a reasonable punishment.” Da Vinci grinned.

“Yes well that will have to wait. We have the coordinates already and we are ready to Rayshift whenever you want to. I won’t lie to you; this might be more difficult than the previous Singularities. We must assume that since we don’t know what you’ll be up against. But with Mash by your side you should be fine.”

“That’s right Senpai, as long as you’re with me I will make sure no one harms you.” She said firmly.

“I feel safer already.” Ritsuka said, smiling a bit.

“Standard procedure once you make landfall. Find a leyline or otherwise suitable summoning site and summon in your servants. And be aware of any influence the grail might have, a decent place to look would be the Emperor.”

“Alrighty… Shall we head over Mash?” he said, walking over to the Coffins. The name for them always gave him a shiver.

“Of course Senpai… I’ll see you in Rome, okay?” She said, giving him a tight hug before entering her own Coffin.

Ritsuka watched her before entering his, sighing as he closed his eyes and relaxed. A voice could be overheard from the sound proofing.  
  
“Starting Unsummoning Sequence, Commencement of Grand Order in Progress. Rayshifting in 3… 2… 1.”

Ritsuka felt the still unfamiliar feeling of being forced through a rubber tube that was way too small before being slammed into a grass knoll. He retched out clear bile as his body reacted to Rayshifting.

Somewhere close by he heard Mash do the same, both of them standing up swaying as they attempted to control their gut. Ritsuka looked around and saw nothing but grassy hills. “M-Mash, where are we?” He groaned.

Mash looked around, using her shield as a support. “W-we seem to be in Rome Master… But I don’t know exactly where.”

A blue hologram of Romani appeared before them. “It seems like the coordinates were slightly mixed, but you are indeed in Rome. Just not at the capital as we hoped. I apologise… Rayshifting isn’t as an exact art as we wish it would be… But you’re alive I suppose, so there’s your silver lining.” Romani said, trying to alleviate the situation.

“Well at least we’re not in the middle of a fight or enemies, Senpai.” Mash concurred, standing up and hauling Ritsuka to his feet.

“Well first things first, gotta find a leyline and set up a summoning circle. Mash, are there any suitable places nearby?” He asked his dependable kouhai.

“Indeed senpai, there is a small leyline not far from here. I can’t see it exactly but I should be able to guide us there.” She said confidently.

“Alright then, lead the way Mash.” Ritsuka gestured for her to go on, following close behind her.

It was a small trek across multiple small hills and rolling knolls, before Mash suddenly stopped. “I think it’s… here Senpai, this is the best place for a leyline.”

“Alright first what we need to is-.” He was cut off by a roar that shook him to his core. He glanced around and saw a Chimera bound towards him at incredible speeds. “Mash! Wall of Snowflakes!”

“Right Senpai!” Mash acknowledged as she swung her shield around and buried it in the ground, a dome of snowflakes starting to fall around them. The beast kept going until it slammed up against the dome, growling and breathing fire on it.

“Senpai it won’t hold for much longer!” Mash said, slightly worried.

“It’s okay! It’s just like how we practised. Once the dome drops, send the back of your blade against its skull! We’ll go on from there!” Ritsuka ordered, his heart pounding.

“Right! Dome dropping… Now!” She leapt forward with an explosive wave and she swung that massive shield with all of her might, the dome dropping as soon as the shield arced around, striking the Chimera hard in the head.

“Now Mash! Shield bash!” Ritsuka yelled.

“Right!” She yelled, cocking her arm back and catapulting her whole body forward, colliding the massive shield against the beast with such force that it was knocked back a couple of steps.

The chimera hissed and backed away slowly before turning around and running way, not seeking for a tougher fight. As it ran away, Mash relaxed slowly. “S-senpai I mean… Master… Enemy has ran away.” She said gratefully.

“Great job Mash… you did really well.” Ritsuka complimented, holding his rapidly beating chest. “L-let’s get this Leyline ready… I’d feel a lot safer with more of us.”

“Of course, Master.” Mash affirmed as she laid down her shield, with Ritsuka drawing the necessary symbols.

“Ahh crap now I gotta think about who to summon… This is always the hardest part… Who do you recommend Mash?”

“Well since we are in Rome, we might face soldiers like swordsman, archers and spearman… So maybe a berserker and a few of the Knight classes and then one of the Cavaliers just to be certain?”

“Mmmm. Alright… I seek the assistance of five heroic spirits, come and heed my call for my need is great! Come Siegfried, for your guidance and your calm nobility shall soften the storms! Come Emiya, for your archery and skills with magecraft are sure to be in need! Come Kintoki, for the time is truly golden! Come Shakespeare, for an Emperor truly worthy of a play shall appear in this singularity! And… Scathach, Queen of the Land of Shadows, I am in unknown territory and I will be beseeched by powers far greater than I, I seek your wisdom and guidance, and I seek your power!” Ritsuka chanted his wishes towards the circle, forcing it to spark to life.

There were three bands of light emanating, spinning and spinning until one by one, his chosen servants came from the shield until… She arrived. Ritsuka’s heart pounded as her body materialised, those red eyes bearing into his soul.

‘Cu Chulainn… Please I hope you are wrong and that I’m just imagining this!’ Scathach thought as she gazed at the semi-stunned Ritsuka.


	3. Crossed Blades and Budding Hearts

“Emiya, do you find anything unusual in the field ahead of us?” Ritsuka asked the Archer that had the eyes of an Eagle, who gazed far and wide.

His vision was similar to a fisheye lens, the edges of what he could see where slightly distorted. He scanned far and wide, surveying every crest in front of them and methodically searching for any signs of potential conflict. His eyes focussed on a hint of motion that he detected in his peripheral vision, focussing on that. “I see three Chimera and what seems to be a small contingent of soldiers of Roman look. Yes… I see their Scutum’s and their Gladius’. They are without a doubt Roman soldiers.” Emiya acknowledged, noticing more and more details of the fight.

“It is not unheard of for this era for patrols of Roman soldiers to exist, but I didn’t realise that there would be so many Chimeras.” Romani commented as he appeared in front of Mash and Ritsuka. “Could this be the influence of the Grail and… That?” He mused, his hologram turned to look at the band of light that appeared in Orleans’ sky.

The circular band appeared where the Sun should’ve been, and all light seems to have been swallowed up in its centre, to reveal an unsettling black hole. The clouds seemed to have been distorted by its existence, almost as if it was indeed a black hole that was steadily sucking in anything within reach.

“I don’t know… But that band shows us that we’re in the right place. Where that band is, so is the grail…” Ritsuka said firmly.

“Oh oh Ritsuka, why do you say that so confidently?” Da Vinci teased from the other side of the communications.

“Orleans was similar wasn’t it? Though I guess that’s not much of a thing to have a hunch on. But when we grabbed that Grail in Orleans, the singularity closed right? Maybe they are connected? It’s just my gut feeling.” Ritsuka mumbled.

“No I definitely do remember some of the Servants you had met in Orleans to have said the same thing. Maybe the Grail and the Band of Light are connected? Keep your eyes out!” She encouraged.

“Alright… Emiya, can you see any buildings in the distance?” Ritsuka asked the Archer.

“Why yes, I see some structures… Perhaps we should head in that direction?” He suggested as his vision returned to normal, looking around the party, unconsciously clenching his fists.

“It would be a good idea to ingratiate ourselves with the Emperor of this Singularity, be it Caligula or Nero. And I think that helping their soldiers might be a good place to start.” Ritsuka mused while he looked over where Emiya had pointed. He could barely see anything except the small clouds of dust and gouts of flame that erupted from nowhere. “Alright let’s head out there.” Ritsuka said, beginning to jog in that direction.

To Servants, a human jogging would be a snail’s pace, but Ritsuka determined that he would make use of his body during these Singularities. Mash was kind enough to offer to carry him as they ran at speeds much more suitable to Servants, but still he declined. He would not allow weakness to show, no matter how tired he was.

“Emiya and Siegfried, go ahead and see if you can provide forward assistance, these guys might seem like they are struggling!” Ritsuka ordered, his breathing choppy but measured and his pulse quickened.

“As you demand.” Emiya said, beginning to pull quickly ahead of the team.

“By your will.” Siegfried acknowledged, easily catching up with Emiya, both kicking up clouds of dirt, dust and grass while their inhuman bodies showed the power they possess.

Shakespeare held up the rear due to running not being very much his thing as he attempted to keep his book steady through the violent undulating motions that the knolls and hills made him do. “Master while I do admire your seemingly endless sea of confidence, perhaps it would be wiser if we just walked instead of this running?” He complained.

Ritsuka laughed. “Come on Willy! It’s good to get out every once in a while and put your body to the test!” He said gleefully, feeling his worries slowly melt away while he exerted himself to the sight of a blue sky and lush greenery.

“Huff… Indeed Master! I could never think of how we could get to see so many new worlds! I can’t wait to see them all!” Mash chipped in enthusiastically.

“Aye it is truly a Golden day for a run Master! It is good you can see the brighter things in life! Can’t have you be a downer every day now can we!?” Kintoki shouted, laughing almost like a lunatic.

A decent few minutes passed before they met up with Siegfried and Emiya, but they were still fighting ferociously. The force multiplier the pair bought to the fray was enough to at least push back the monsters, but not enough for a total victory. Ritsuka stood on top of a hill to survey the fight.

“Kintoki, think you can handle a Chimera by yourself?” He challenged the man who had the sole claim to the meaning of Golden. That same man turned to him with a wicked smile and hefted his axe.

“I will be back in a Golden flash Master!” Was all Ritsuka could understand from the man before they catapulted themselves into the fray.

Ritsuka sighed as he stared at the battle. His selection was a good one. Those three didn’t need much instruction due to being experienced enough in the art of battles. They used their skills when the time was right, when it was necessary and not an ounce of mana went to waste while they did battle with the beasts.

By now with the introduction of Kintoki, the fight easily turned to their favour. With each Servant battling their own beast, it would not be long before they declared victory.

Kintoki was energetic in his fighting as he swung his axe with reckless abandon, cleaving ruts into the ground and throwing up all manner of things. Nothing found safe haven from that axe, the least of all this Chimera. He hacked and slashed the beleaguered beast; its body being ripped apart by the strength of the Golden Man. While the other two could not match Kintoki’s spectacle, they did not lack in energy and skill. Emiya easily turned his own Chimera into a porcupine that he dismembered, cycling through his arsenal. It was all over when Emiya knelt and shouted “Caladbolg!” The arrow shot off like a missile and over-penetrated the Chimera, a large explosion of dirt and grass raining from behind it. Siegfried, far more measured in his attacks, His style of combat forcing his enemy on the defensive without revealing any openings or weaknesses of his own. His large sword whistled through the air as it always struck true and parts of the individual Chimera were cleft from its body, first the Snake’s head was sent flying in the air, before a set of horns and lion’s paws followed. Cries of pain suddenly cut off in rapid succession, the Goat’s head rolling on the floor. Finally, the beast was put down by a lunge that buried itself to the hilt in the Lion’s forehead.

With the fight over and Siegfried’s enemy slain, Ritsuka strode down the hill to engage with the Roman soldiers, Mash, Scathach and Shakespeare following behind him.

He came up short to the small contingent of soldiers, as one with a more elaborate head crest took the front of the group. “Halt there, who may you be, strange warriors from another place?” He barked, looking at Scathach.

Ritsuka kindly interjected. “Hello, we are travellers from a different world, and we have come seeking the benevolent guidance of the Emperor…” He tried to lie as best as he could.

The Captain seemed disbelieving. “You are the leader of this group?”

“Yes actually, though I do understand why you wouldn’t think so.” Ritsuka reassured them, a bright smile gracing his face.

The Captain harrumphed before turning around, his arm moving in a specific pattern, upon which the soldiers responded by saluting and heading in the direction away from the party. The Captain turned around and levelled a gaze at Ritsuka again. “You wish to see the Emperor? You will have a few days ahead of you, but you will be hampered by these beasts. All of a sudden, they’ve been appearing out of nowhere and attacking my men… I have an idea, if you can cull their numbers down, to make it easier for my men, I will give you the shortest route to the capital.”

“Well I don’t see any deal better than that.” Ritsuka commented. The Roman Captain nodded while placing his spear in his right hand, which carried the shield, and stepped forward with his left arm out. Ritsuka nervously responded in kind, nearly jumping out of his skin when the Captain grabbed his upper forearm and shook resolutely. With that done the Captain stepped back and followed his soldiers.

Mash stepped forward to Ritsuka. “Sen… Master, are you okay? You look pale.” She asked, her brow furrowed.

“Y-yeah… I guess Roman soldiers are a completely different type of person.” He murmured, his hand clenching to relieve the sudden shocking ache from being grasped in a strong grip. “Alright well I guess you guys heard the deal. If we cull their numbers a bit, we get to the capital quicker.”

“Master, you need to stop being overridden so easily.” Scathach said, shaking her head, sounds of tinkling followed with the jewels of her head piece shifting.

“What do you mean by that?” Ritsuka turned around and looked up at the Celtic warrior woman.

“I believe what the fair lady is trying to say, dear Master, is that you seem to be easily swayed and beaten when it comes to the verbal sparring of haggling. You don’t necessarily have to agree to the first iteration given to you. You must learn how to make a deal benefit you the most, at least when it is humanely possible!” Shakespeare declared, clearing his throat and writing in his book to ignore the stare given to him by Scathach.

“Yes, what the small writing man says is true Master. There are times when you must take a stand instead of laying down to let them walk over you, for the lack of a better term.” Scathach elaborated, turning her attention back to her Master.

“But I saw nothing wrong with the deal that he proposed to me. It actually sounded quite fair to me.” Ritsuka said.

“Yes but you do not know how many you need to cull, or how far you should cull. You know little of the details of the deal that he could change his mind from wanting 10 killed to 30. And trust me Master, when it comes to fighting beasts such as Chimeras, 10 and 30 are a sizeable difference.”

Ritsuka looked down and sighed. “Yeah… Yeah I guess you’re right…” He sighed again and rubbed a hand over his face. “Alright… Let’s start clearing out these beasts, the quicker we get it done the quicker we can get back to the capital.”

“Master, I believe you would like to know that the Roman soldiers have pitched tents off into the distance. If need be, I would be able to easily find them again.” Emiya notified Ritsuka while the forward team regrouped with him.

“Alright thanks Emiya. Let’s go hunt us some Chimera!” He roared as he began to walk in any direction, hoping to run into any old beast.

_A few hours later_

Ritsuka sighed while collapsing onto the nearest area that looked soft enough to sleep on. They’ve been hunting Chimeras for the past four hours and the sun had already set, now it was time for the Moon to rule over the Earth. “Good work everyone… Not as many as I thought we could clear but hopefully we’ll meet a lot more tomorrow.” He groaned and sat up, looking over to Mash who looked like she was breathing erratically. “Are you okay?”

She looked over and gave him a smile. “I am Senpai, just a bit tired and worn out. We did great work today, didn’t we?” She laid down next to him, her large shield laid down next to him.

“Yeah we did a lot of good work today. Thanks for your work everyone.” He spoke to the party, smirks all around as they all nodded in acknowledgement. Today was a day full of fighting and they were able to stretch out their powers and go beyond what they normally could. “I’m still not used to how you guys operate so if you wanna sleep… go ahead? Or stay up? I’m not sure.”

“Servants can go into a state similar to sleep to conserve mana, as we do not feel tired in the traditional sense as you humans do. But I suppose the more mana we conserve the more we can do.” Siegfried stated, sitting on a boulder. “I believe that staying in our spirit forms is the best compromise between mana conservation and being battle ready when the time comes. While our senses are dulled and we won’t have our weapons materialised, it is a far cry from being utterly defenceless.”

Ritsuka nodded in agreement. “Alright, thanks Siegfried. I just wasn’t sure how you… behave? How you go about doing things? Sorry, there’s still so much I don’t know about you guys.” He chuckled embarrassingly, rubbing the back of his head.

“It is quite alright Master. We realise that we are enigmas to anyone that doesn’t fervently study our kind. And even then, everyone Servant is different, so no two are the same. But I will take my leave, goodnight Master.” He bowed slightly before becoming golden dust in the wind. Ritsuka knew he still stood there but the fact he disappeared in such a way was still disconcerting.

“I will stay materialised Master, since I am the only Archer and I have the sharpest eyes.” Emiya stated, scaling a considerably large rock to gain a bird’s eye view. There he sat down, looking regal with the moonlight shining on him.

Ritsuka nodded and gave him a small smile. “Thank you Emiya, I really do appreciate it.” He sighed and laid back down, staring up at the glorious stars. He turned back to look at his precious kouhai, who already stared back with a smile.

“Goodnight, Senpai.” She murmured, easily slipping into sleep.

“Goodnight, Mash.” He smiled, watching his kouhai sleep restlessly. Small patches of gold dust flittered in the air with everyone else’s disappearance, making the night sky much more beautiful.

But try as he might, Ritsuka could never sleep. His body felt lethargic and his mind swimming in honey, but he could not sleep. Hours have already passed with sleep seeming that much further away. Not wanting to waste time and hoping he could make himself more tired, Ritsuka stood up quietly, so he wouldn’t disturb Mash. He looked around and as such he could not see anyone except Emiya, who hadn’t moved from his perch at all.

Stretching and yawning, he walked to the enigmatic bowman. “Hey Emiya, I hate to ask for something so trivial, but can you please project me a spear or something? I can’t sleep and I kinda wanna practise on some of my form to fix that problem.” He pleaded.

Emiya looked down towards Ritsuka and sighed. “You are a troublesome Master, I will admit that… But you remind me a bit when I was your age.” He held out his hand, a long shaft with a formidable head forming in front of him. Once it was to his satisfaction, he buried it in the ground in front of Ritsuka. “I do hope your training goes well. You know you can always ask one of us many Heroic Spirits for training.” He reminded the budding fighter.

“I do, and I appreciate that from the bottom of my heart… Maybe I will one of these days.” He says, waving goodbye as he descended the hill for a small, somewhat private area for him to train.

There is no way he could’ve hid his departure from the rest of the Servants, but he hoped that he could still have a modicum of privacy because no matter how he tried, he still felt embarrassed from doing this.

He took a steady stance and gripped the spear in both hands. He took a deep breath and stepped forward, thrusting with the weapon before stepping around, bring it up for a vertical block. He stepped back and swung around, arcing the spear before blocking again, following up with a heavy thrust.

Already he felt his breathing become irregular and his body began to produce sweat. He took a small breather before stepping forward again. He took a stance and went for a high jab, before twisting and blocking vertically. He imagined himself fighting a swordsman and tried to gear his body for such an opponent.

He stepped back, an imaginary sword whistling past him, and thrusted with the hopes that the length of the spear could shore up any lack of skills on his behalf. A partial success was created but not enough for a total victory, as the figure pressed the attack and began to rain heavy blows onto him.

His body tightened as he stepped forward to block the attacks, going faster and faster with his form. Flowing the form of blocking into an attack and then again back into a block. It felt like a never-ending loop of finding their weakness to capitalise on them and enacting a move to work upon it. But despite all of his energy and his enthusiasm, he saw that imaginary blade pierce his chest when he left it too open.

Sighing in exasperation and anger, he buried the spear into the ground and pounded his fists into the earthen floor. “I’ll never get better at this rate!” He growled in frustration, pounding the dirt again.

“It’s a good thing that I saw that outburst, any longer and I’d think you had no emotion in you.” A regal voice that commanded authority and demanded respect came from behind, his body nearly jumping out of its skin. He turned around to the view of Scathach appearing out of spirit form.

“OH! Hi S-scathach!” Ritsuka went taut like a bowstring upon gazing at the Queen of the Land of Shadows.

She pressed a finger to her lips and stepped forward, taking the spear out of the ground and inspecting it. “That Archer made this for you, did he not?” She asked rhetorically, but Ritsuka still felt obligated to answer.

“Y-yes he did.”

She gazed at him before looking back to the spear. It was well crafted, as expected of a man who could see such a weapon on a level that no other blacksmith could perceive. “It is adequate enough for training, a simple haft with a matching ahead, nothing more and nothing less.” She handed it back to him, which he took gratefully. “You were training, were you not?”

“Y-yes I was…”

“Why?” She queried

Her question stumped him, struggling to find an answer. “B-because I don’t want to be useless. I hate seeing the people who I’ve forged a bond with go out and risk their lives. I know you’ve all Servants and that it’s nothing if you fall in battle. But it still doesn’t sit right with me.” He finished, looking up at her with determination.

“Ahh I see. You see us too much like Humans and thus you treat us more than we deserve. Trust me Master, we are willing in our servitude to you. Do not mistake our lack of care for ourselves for anything else… But still, it is encouraging to see a Master finally take an active role in the relationship they have with their Servant.”

He nodded. “M-maybe you could teach me?” He hoped, staring up at her.

‘Cu Chulainn… Damn your predictions.’ She steeled herself for what she must do. She took a step forward and bore into his eyes with a deadly intensity. “Master, listen to me and listen well, for I shall not repeat myself. I'm not your mentor, nor your mother, nor your sister, nor your lover. And do not even think for a moment otherwise. Our relationship is purely that of a Master and Servant, nothing more than that will ever come of this. Do you understand?”

Ritsuka looked up at her numbly, the spear falling from his grasp and clattering to the ground. He opened and shut his mouth multiple times, before clenching his fists and bowing his head. “Y-yes… Scathach.” He whispered.

She took a step back, disappearing into her spirit form before he got the chance to see the look on her face, leaving Ritsuka there with his fists clenched and shaking, starlight falling from his face.


	4. Meeting the Queen

When Mash woke up, she did not see any sign of Ritsuka. She glanced around in concern, casting her gaze far and wide, looking for that familiar mess of black hair. She stood up and kept looking around, fear gripping her heart. “Master!? Master!” She shouted.

Siegfried appeared out of thin air, concern written on his face. “Lady Mash, is everything okay?” He asked, Balmung slung on his shoulder.

“I don’t know where Master is he was right here next to me and now he’s gone where could he have gone?” Mash began to hyperventilate, her breast falling and rising in rapid succession.

“Lady Mash please, calm yourself. I assure you that the Master will be fine. It is quite possible that he fell asleep someplace else. So why don’t we attempt to look for him? Knowing the young Master, he would not be too far away.”

Mash nodded and attempted to get her breathing under control. _He’s right. Senpai isn’t the type to run away… But where can he be?_ She took a deep breath and walked over to Emiya. “Ummm… Archer? Have you seen Master? I don’t know where he is and I’m worried.” She asked.

The Man in Red looked down towards her and nodded. “It is quite alright, Lady Mash. Master is currently down there by himself.” He pointed towards a small gully a dozen metres away.

Mash nodded and struggled to not go into a sprint. She calmed herself and continued until she got to the gully, looking around until she spotted that unmistakable mess of black hair. Relief flooded her system as she ran towards him. “Senpai!” She shouted.

Ritsuka groaned as he was awakened from his sleep, lying down in the uncomfortable dirt. He opened his eyes to see the form of Mash running towards him. He sighed and sat up, rubbing his eyes. “I’m here Mash… I’m here.” He looked worse for wear. His outfit was dirtier than last night, and his hair was more of a mess than usual. As she kept looking at him, she noticed his eyes. They were bloodshot and the skin around them was rimmed with red.

“Are you okay, Senpai? Your eyes are red raw.” She murmured while kneeling in front of him. She desperately wanted to hug him, given how sad he looked but she decided against it.

“Hmm? Oh yeah yeah… I’m fine, don’t worry about it. Just didn’t get much sleep you know?” He chuckled as he rubbed his eyes to be rid of the sleep. In reality he felt sluggish, as if his body was filled with lead. His heart twanged in pain with each beat, a new wave of tears nearly forcing them to the edges of his eyes. He cleared his throat and coughed a bit to gain control over his composure. He felt the sensation of pins pricking his eyes, forcing him to take a deep breath and standing up to hide how he felt.

“Master! We have a band of unidentifiable warriors heading in our direction!” Emiya shouted from his perch as he took a stance, staring down a dust cloud that was at least a kilometre away.

“Can you give me numbers!?” Ritsuka shouted back, his melancholy shaken off by the threat of more company. He made his way quickly to Archer, looking at where he pointed.

“At least 50… if not more.” He commented grimly, a large and formidable arrow appearing in his hand.

“Wait, don’t… We can’t risk a large encounter like that, and something tells me that these guys are more used to this land than we are.” Ritsuka cautioned. He looked to where Emiya said the Roman tents were. “Could we make it to the Romans?”

“No, I don’t think so. I can see smoke rising from where they pitched their tents. If we were to run to them I have no doubt we’d be captured.” Emiya elaborated, looking between the smoke and the dust cloud.

Ritsuka closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Alright… Everyone, disappear into your Spirit Forms.”

“ **WHAT**.” A collective shout made him wince as each Servant, even Shakespeare, looked at him incredulously. 

“Dear Master while I do appreciate chronicling your deeds, this is the height of foolishness. You do realise that while we are in our Spirit Form, we will not be able to provide you assistance?”

“Yes but I’m banking on the idea that they won’t kill me immediately. They’ll want to know who I am, where I came from and what I am here for.” Ritsuka reasoned.

Mash walked close to him. “M-Master I don’t think this would be a wise decision. I won’t be able to protect you if the worst comes to happen.”

He looked towards her and petted her head softly. “I have trust in your abilities, Mash… And this’ll help us understand more about the singularity. This is my choice. Please, can you all disappear?” He beseeched them again, looking from one Servant to another.

Reluctantly, they all began to disintegrate into golden flakes, one by one, with Scathach noticeably being the last one to do so. But she acquiesced to the request and she too disappeared, leaving Mash and Ritsuka together.

He turned towards the dust cloud, which would soon be upon them. The dust cloud obscured their vision and all they could only hear was the rumbling and tramping of feet, the rustling and clacking of metal equipment and the shouting of orders. The pair shielded their faces, coughing as the dust entered their airways.

It took a few seconds for the dust to settle, but as their vision became clearer, they realised the density of how they were surrounded. Ritsuka did hear Emiya say about 50 soldiers, but to see this many gathered around him still took him by surprise.

He looked at them with greater interest. There was no uniform, that much was obvious, with the mismatched tartan and basic cloth of differing colours. But they were all heavily armed, nearly every warrior had a large axe or knife at their side in addition to their shield and main weapon, be it an axe, spear or single edged sword.

But that wasn’t what terrified him. That was taken by the near silence that enveloped them. Not one warrior spoke, the only sound came from their equipment and the movement of their feet. Soon they parted ways to reveal a tall and graceful woman with flaming red hair and piercing turquoise eyes. She stopped in front of them and subjected them to a stare that stripped Ritsuka to his very soul. In her hands were a simple red and gold targe on her left and a long slender sword in her right. Graced her head was a simple golden crown with rubies lining the middle.

Mash stepped in front of Ritsuka, to protect him from the enigmatic woman, her shield in a ready position. The woman’s eyes sharpened at the movement, before she stepped forward again and levelled her sword towards Mash, causing the young girl to subconsciously grip her shield tighter. The circle silently widened to give the pair room to fight, each face set hard as if the outcome did not matter to them.

And then… she moved.

The only sign that told Ritsuka about her movement had to be the whipping red hair, leaving a trail behind her. That deadly sword whipped around and crashed against Mash’s shield, knocking the girl back with its ferocity. Mash braced again and went on the offensive, swinging the defensive tool like a deadly weapon, that edge whipping back and forth as she swung it around in a smooth pattern. Her experience in the previous singularities trained her to use her shield effectively, but it couldn’t make up for skill. Mash’s opponent skilfully stepped back and parried the shield with her own, deflecting it away. 

Despite her best efforts, Ritsuka could tell that there was no competition. He had gained some knowledge in martial combat with commanding other Servants, and that knowledge told him that this enigmatic woman was a seasoned warrior. That burning red hair whipped around behind Mash, that slender sword curving around in slow motion. Mash’s reaction was equally slow, her shield barely catching the blade on the edge and being sent backwards. It followed up with a flurry of blows, her body curving and weaving from attack to defence, that targe staying out in front of her, barely leaving an opening. 

Another blow was directed towards Mash’s head, forcing her shield up high to reveal her midsection. The woman drove her targe straight into Mash’s stomach, knocking the air out of her and sending her sprawling into the dirt, retching and coughing. It was enough to leave Ritsuka, that blade turning around in a show of wicked speed, the tip whistling towards him.

Mash let out an ear shattering “Stop!” that echoed amongst the hills. The blade stopped within an inch of Ritsuka’s arm. The sword moved away and pointed down towards the ground as the red headed woman turned to face Mash. “S-stop.” She said again, out of breath.

“Your voice carries conviction, at least in regards to him… Why should I?” A cold and cruel voice that juxta positioned her fair looks came from her lips. The sword tip dug slightly into the ground, but Ritsuka refused to relax.

“W-wha… What do you want?” Mash heaved, favouring her shield as she got up.

“You are foreigners here. You do not belong. And it is clear that you are not an ordinary person, but a Servant… Though I do not know who you are, I have never heard of anyone who used a shield as their main weapon, especially a shield that size.” She spoke to herself more than to anyone else. Her eyes again pierced Mash, who felt naked and vulnerable in front of her.

Mash tried to steel her voice so as to not appear weak. “W-we are from an organisation called Chaldea, and w-we are here to r-repair this singularity.” She steadied herself again and stood straight, attempting to look into the woman’s eyes.

“You mean that ring in the sky, and how this land is filled with magical beasts and Servants.” It was rhetorical, and neither Mash nor Ritsuka felt like answering. “You intrigue me, people from Chaldea. At least you are not Romans, despite what we saw earlier. But I cannot leave you alone, you are to come with me. From now on you are under the servitude of Boudica, Queen of Britannia!” She raised her sword, to which the group of warriors all yelled in affirmation and encouragement, banging their swords on their shields.

Ritsuka’s gut twisted into a knot. He was truly trapped and captured, but he would’ve taken this over the death he just brushed with. He shakily got to his feet, drawing many cold-blooded stares from the warriors around him. “W-where will you be taking us?”

“You will come with me to one of our camps, where I will decide your fate.” Boudica declared as both Mash and Ritsuka were manhandled, tight leather straps were used to bind their wrists together and were forced to follow the Queen of Britannia.

_Somewhere else a kilometre away_

The Servants had materialised and were all waiting with bated breath to hear from the Archer who was watching the scene unfold.

“Can you see them?” Siegfried asked Emiya, who peered over the edge of a formidable rock. 

“Yes… They are both restrained and are being taken by that woman… Shakespeare, do you know who that could be?” He asked the playwright.

“Mmmm well my judgement is oft short sighted, but seeing how this is Rome, and you saw a woman lead a band of what is essentially barbarians. I can think of no one else other than Boudica, the Queen of Britannia.”

“Boudica? The woman who attempted to invade Rome, but failed in doing so?” Emiya asked, looking towards Shakespeare.

“None other than her, at least I am fairly sure it would be her. I do not know who else it could be.” Shakespeare admitted, shrugging his shoulders.

“It matters little now. Our Master has now been taken hostage and is going somewhere, we need to follow them.” Scathach spoke out, spinning Gae Bolg in her hand and pacing to and fro.

“We mustn't be too hasty. We will follow them out of eyesight, and when the time comes we will free our Master. Hopefully he will have learnt something from this enigmatic Queen.” Siegfried stated, standing up from his seated position. “Emiya, I believe you can track them for as long as they do not speed up beyond what they are doing now, correct?”

“As long as we do not kick up too much dust with our movements, we should be able to tail them stealthily. However, we will be put at the pace of the slowest person.” All eyes turned towards the Playwright, who looked up from his book.

“Oh me? I’m not the running type.” Shakespeare announced, going back to writing in his back.

“How would you like for me to chase after you with Gae Bolg?” Scathach turned towards the lazy man, who stiffened suddenly at the threat.

“I see that you have not lost the ability to negotiate as you continue to… gain experience.” He resigned himself as he stared at that red spear.

“As long as we can keep a GOLDEN pace and not fall too far behind with the main group, we should be able to have a GOLDEN time in keeping up with the Master. Then we will craft the GOLDEN opportunity to save him and maybe learn more about our enemies while we’re at it!” He smiled dazzlingly, living up to his name.

_A few hours later, at a camp_

Rtisuka and Mash were tied up back to back in an open area, where there’d always be a pair of eyes on them. Ritsuka sighed as he hung his head. “Sorry you got caught up in this Mash… I expected them to talk to me immediately, but it seems that they have decided to let us sweat a bit.” He groaned while he stretched.

“It’s okay Senpai, I would’ve stayed with you regardless of what the plan was, I am your shield.” She leant against him and sighed. “But I do get what you mean… Are they playing mind games with us or are they waiting for us to crack and divulge information? But what do they even want?”

“I don’t know… I wouldn’t even know where to begin with the questioning…” Ritsuka lamented. A few moments had passed before movement caught his eye, looking up to see who it was. It turned out to be one of Boudica’s soldiers moving towards him. The soldier reached down and untied Ritsuka, hauling him to his feet.

“You are going to see the queen.” He rumbled.

“Senpai!” Mash called out fearfully, twisting around to face him.

“It’s okay Mash, I’ll be back, I promise.” He attempted to allay her fears, but he could see in her eyes that she wasn’t comforted. “I’ll be fine, okay?” He tried again before being hauled off, leaving Mash to sit there watching her Master being dragged away.

Ritsuka was taken to a large, beige tent and forced to his knees. While looking around, he noticed that it was lit up well on the inside. All along the walls laid weapons and of different types and sizes, a large Chimera’s head hanging above a throne-like chair. In that chair sat the red headed queen of Britannia, Boudica.

Despite how warm and bright the inside of the tent felt, her stare pierced his heart and flooded him with dread and sent shivers down his spine. But he couldn’t understand where the source of that cold feeling came from. Yes it emanated from the eyes but it felt deeper than that, more primal, more filled with rage and hatred. This woman in front of him exuded the aura of a pyre burning with loathing and abhorrence. Hatred was this woman’s creed; anger her life force.

He understood how much hatred this woman had in her body, but he could not understand the reasons why. This feeling was directed at something, but he didn’t have a clue as to what could draw such ire.

His train of thought was interrupted as Boudica stood from her throne, walking towards him in a slow but purposeful stride. She stopped within a few inches, staring down at Ritsuka with those eyes that forced his heart to stop for a beat.

“Who are you… Really?” She murmured at a volume that he struggled to hear. He sweated slightly and licked his lips.

“I… I am Ritsuka Fujimaru, a-and I am t-the last Mage that is fighting for Humanity.” He stammered, not breaking eye contact with her.

“Last Mage?” She queried, her head turned to the side slightly.

“Y-yes… The organisation I work for, Chaldea, is one where we Rayshift to abnormalities of history and attempt to rectify them. We call these abnormalities, Singularities. I am currently here to repair this Singularity.”

“How do you know that this is a Singularity?” She asked, staring at him with half lidded eyes.

“W-well I can’t exactly say how, but we have a… seer of sorts that predicts these Singularities. Once we have confirmed their existence, they send me and my Servant to repair them.”

“Servant? You mean that armoured girl with the shield? She is your Servant?” She scoffed, chuckling cruelly.

“Y-yes… Look, you might be a full-fledged Servant, but she has done more than what anyone else expected of them, and she deserves the title of Servant, her limitations be damned!” He started to get flared up. Her quarrel was with him, not Mash.

“Don’t you raise your voice at me.” Her voice was barely a whisper and her gaze sharpened. Her hand closed shortly before reopening again with a breath. “And Servant? Just the one?” She asked.

“Y-yes… She is my only Serva-.” His voice cut off with the amount of force that Boudica punched his face with. He dropped to the side, clutching his face as it stung to numbness and staring up at her dumbfounded.

She sighed and shook her hand. “Now, let us try that again. Do you think I am a simpleton barbarian who leads a band of barbarians? I am the Queen of Britannia, and I shall bring the Roman Whore to her knees! Do not attempt to deceive me in the future. I already know you have at least five other Servants under your command.”

Ritsuka’s eyes widened and his jaw went slack. “H-how do you know that?”

“I had one of my soldiers spy on you… Do not feel too bad about not detecting them, for they know the land like the palm of their hand. Even a Servant would have trouble finding one while looking for them. Especially if there is only one sentry, looking in a singular direction.”

A ball of lead dropped into his stomach. “W-wait… You expect my Servants to come for me, don’t you?”

“Expected? I planned for it. I had an inkling of what you were when my spies reported to me… Now all I have to do is find out whose side you’re on.” She said simply, going to a table and pouring a decanter of wine.

“S-side? I’m on Humanity’s side.” Ritsuka stated, confused at what she meant.

She shook her head, turning back to him. “How I see it, Humanity does not have a horse in this race. The only horses in this war are me, the Roman Whore, and the Huns.” She sipped her wine.

“H-huns? What are they doing here?” Ritsuka asked, startled.

“Isn’t that your area of expertise? Besides it matters little to me. The Huns, while they do make my life a bit harder, aren’t my primary enemy. And on the topic of Romans, if you are not on their side then why did I see you help a group of Roman Soldiers?” She queried. Right now Ritsuka could see that familiar, slender sword in her hand, hanging daintily.

“We were Rayshifted to the area, I summoned my Servants and we came upon that group under attack by Chimeras. Since we wanted to ingratiate ourselves with whoever may be the dominant force here, we helped them out. Fixing a Singularity tends to be easier when you have people to help.”

“You are either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid, to talk to me in such a candid fashion.” Boudica commented, sipping her wine.

“If you truly thought I was an ally of the Romans you would’ve killed me already. But I see that I’m interesting to you, for multiple reasons.”

Her eyebrow raised itself slightly. “Oh is that so? How are you interesting to me?”

“I’m a foreign inclusion to your situation. I am an unknown anomaly, I can either be your greatest ally or greatest foe. And I imagine you’d prefer the former.”

“Prove to me that you are not my greatest enemy then. Despite what your intentions may be, I cannot risk a full party of Servants interfering in my war, especially when I do not know whose side they are on.”

“I am here for Humanity’s best interests. I am first and foremost a human and I will fight for my people for as long as I can. I will inevitably have to forge alliances and create allies in order to achieve this goal. You are a Servant from Human History; do you not feel a slight obligation to ensure that Humanity continues to thrive!?” He bellowed at her, his patience running thin by her hard headedness.

Her eyes turned into slits, her breathing becoming irregular. “Do not sit there to lecture me! This is the best opportunity I have ever received to gain revenge on the people who defiled my daughters and I. They slaughtered my kinsmen like cattle! If I have the opportunity to get that revenge, you can be damned sure I will not let it slip through my fingers!”

“Then kill me already! Because I will not ally myself with someone who is only waging war for her vengeance, because I believe in a cause far greater than a group of people, greater than a country or a nation!” He stood up and clenched his fists. “Kill me or let me go! I do not care for your personal grudges!”

Their arguing was cut short by screaming and the sounds of struggling outside. Boudica looked back to Ritsuka and grinned. “It seems like your Servants have arrived. Why don’t you come with me and show them how grateful you are?” She chuckled softly and exited the tent, sword in hand.

Ritsuka followed her closely, his desire for freedom moving his body for him, and his heart wondered who was there, if _she_ was there. His pulse quickened as they closed in on the fighting, to reveal a ring of Britannic soldiers surrounding six familiar people wielding their tools of the trade. Already there were soldiers having been tossed around onto the ground, some nursing wounds while others laid completely still. Torches stuck in the ground illuminated the area in dancing light, the shadows shaking and shivering with the movement of the flame.

The ring split to allow Boudica entry with Ritsuka in tow. When he came into view Mash was the first to notice him.

“Senpai!” She made a mad dash towards him however the soldiers swiftly blocked her movement. “Senpai are you okay!?” She blurted out from behind her shield.

“I’m fine, don’t worry about me.” He responded, causing relief to overtake her system.

“It is sweet, experiencing two people caring for each other in such an innocent way… But enough of that. I take it that you six are his Servants. Excellent, that makes this a lot more easier to deal with. I’ve got quite a quandary to deal with here. I need to figure out if you’re with the Romans or not. But I guess that is unnecessary since I cannot allow a group of Servants who aren’t beholden to me go free.” She decreed, her sword and targe hanging loosely from her hands.

“We are beholden to no one; our contract is only with the young Master.” Siegfried firmly stated, turning from his position to slightly face Boudica. “We are not for anyone else to use… Nay, we _deny_ anyone else our skills.”

“So you would defy me, in my kingdom?” Her tone was ice cold, her stare intense as she levelled her gaze at Siegfried.

“Master is the only being whom we trust enough to wield our power. Any other being is not worthy enough.” He stood his ground, meeting her gaze coolly. He felt like he was staring Fafnir down again, and he would not back down.

“If I cannot use you for my own ends, then I suppose I must kill the thing that anchors you here no?” Her words caused Ritsuka’s heart to quicken, his throat closing in fear. 

“I challenge you!” An authoritative voice thundered across the plains. All turned towards the source, the warrior woman who was a Queen and mentor to many heroes of the Ulster Cycle.

This caught Boudica’s attention, and she redirected her gaze to Scathach. “Oh, you challenge me? And pray tell, why should I accept?”

“Accept my challenge. If I win, you will leave our Master alone. If you win, I will pledge my service to you.”

“Why should I accept your challenge? What makes you far more formidable than the rest of your compatriots?” She asked sceptically, analysing Scathach with a critical eye.

“For who I am, if you were to know then you wouldn’t dare to ask such a foolish question.” Her tone became cold and dripping with venom.

Boudica laughed cruelly. “Oh you have courage, that you do. I admit you now pique my interest, to speak in such a way to me. I wonder though, are you either a competent fool, or a brave one? Fine. I will accept your challenge.”

The circle widened considerably, leaving a large dirt arena in the middle of the camp. Ritsuka was still kept behind a wall of shields and spears, his Servants opposite him. The fighters saluted, Boudica with her sword and targe, Scathach with her spear.

They began to circle each other, analysing their opponents with a critical eye to see any weaknesses. Scathach knew she could not take this woman lightly as she called herself the Queen of Britannia and she carried herself with an air that befitted her station. She felt her determination to rule her people, and she saw the raging behind Boudica’s eyes. This will not be an easy fight, and she mustn't underestimate her opponent.

The camp fell silent when they stopped circling, so palpable was the tension in the air that it could be cut with a knife. Everyone waited with bated breath, wondering who would make the first move.

‘Her stance is rather sloppy, the way her feet aren’t set apart at shoulder width and how her knees are locked. Her grip on that sword is adequate enough, but she does not use that shield to its full potential, does she not realise how much of an advantage it gives her?’ Scathach scanned Boudica’s body language. ‘I doubt she has fought anything that wasn’t Roman… Could she be enhanced in certain aspects if she did fight a Roman? Could that give her false confidence?’ She worked her hands up and down the shaft to change positions, the tip of Gae Bulg rising up and down in a figure of eight motion, like a serpent’s head.

Her challenge was accepted with a flash of steel and the swirling of red hair. Boudica charged across the dirt patch within a heartbeat and bought her sword around for a powerful slash, the tip whistling in the wind. Scathach’s breath quickened in surprise at how vicious that attack was, bringing up her lance to block and redirect the slash, to only be met with a lightning fast second strike with the targe. She had to duck and roll away as she could not block such an attack with only a spear. She stood back up and guarded for the next attack, which was fortuitous as a lunge from the Queen of Britannia whistled past her ear, only being deflected by the spear.

‘She is far more formidable than I thought… Perhaps I underestimated her, but now is no longer the time for fairness, I **will** win this fight.’ She deflected another devastating slash to the side and left Boudica wide open for Scathach to flick her spear upwards, sending her flying back due to a block at the last moment. Deep ruts in the ground followed Boudica while she slowed down.

Scathach swung her lance around to roll her shoulders and switch positions, staring intently at Boudica. She took a deep breath and tensed her body, catapulting herself towards the Queen of Britannia with a speed that could not be tracked with the human eye. That menacing lance whistled around and slammed into the shield, before repositioning to slide off and suddenly jab into Boudica’s midsection, subsequent jabs being stopped by being deflected.

But she did not stop there, she swung that lance around again and began a flurry of attacks that blurred together into a haze of twists and lunges, sparks flying incessantly as they struck the shield or sword. Scathach controlled the tempo of the fight now and forced Boudica back multiple steps at a time as she weaved and slid into multiple styles and attacks, never allowing her attacks to become an identifiable fighting style.

‘It is time to end this charade.’ Finally she launched up into the air, her eyes glowing as mana coursed through her veins. All of a sudden, a large swath of spears that resemble Gae Bolg appear in the air. With a flick of her wrist she sent those replicas flying at speeds that resembled a railgun, creating massive explosions that spread dirt and kicked thick clouds of dust into the air.

Once the dust had settled, Ritsuka saw Boudica laying on the ground, pierced through the stomach by a red spear, half of the shaft appearing out of her and blood pulsating and pooling around her body. Scathach landed gracefully on her feet and walked towards the seemingly defeated Boudica. She grasped the lance that had embedded itself into Boudica’s body and stared down at her. “Do you concede?” She spoke clearly and loudly enough for everyone to hear.

When it looked like that Boudica wouldn’t forfeit, Scathach twisted and bent the lance to worsen the wound in her midsection, causing pain to escape from her lips. “My next strike will not miss your heart.” Scathach murmured coldly, Boudica being the only one to hear her.

Boudica stared up at her with a hatred that Scathach rarely saw before. The hatred of something taking away the chance of getting your vengeance, eliminating your opportunity to enact revenge on those who wronged you. “My Master is willing to cooperate with you, this could be a boon for you as well. Think past your cloud of anger and resentment and actually use some sense, at least hear him out. You might still gain what you want in the end, just at a delayed pace. Your rival is not going anywhere, unless this world crumbles to dust. Which will happen if you do not assist the Master.”

She saw gears turning in Boudica’s head, slowly coming to grips with the realisation. “Or I could kill you right now, and you will never fulfill your urge for revenge.” That was the final nail in the coffin for Boudica. She let her hand fall limply from the lance and grunted.

“Let me go… I will discuss with your Master how we can cooperate.” She whispered through bared teeth.

Scathach nodded and allowed for the lance to dissipate into golden flakes, leaving Boudica laying on the ground. She held out a hand to the beleaguered Queen, who took it begrudgingly, allowing her to support herself. “If you dare threaten my Master again… I will make sure that there is nothing left of you for the Throne to register.” She murmured softly into Boudica’s ear, the redhead glancing back with a small fire of fear flickering behind her eyes.

Boudica waved off her soldiers, allowing Ritsuka to walk towards Boudica. Scathach glanced at him and began to walk past him, her body slowly disappearing into golden flakes. Ritsuka quickly grabbed her hand, causing her to look back at him. He looked up at her and spoke sincerely. “Thank you… For upholding my ideals.”

Ritsuka didn’t see her expression change, but he swore her mouth tilted upward slightly before she completely disappeared into her Spirit Form. He watched that space a few seconds more before returning his attention to Boudica, who was clutching her stomach and breathing hard. “Will you be alright?”

“Yes… All I need is time to rest. I hope her opinion of you is vindicated, for I only stopped because she thought you would be able to give us a situation that would benefit us both… Do you have such a plan?” She hissed at him.

He nodded slightly. “Yes I do, but I imagine that you’d prefer to talk at another time, or preferably in your tent?” He asked, gesturing towards said tent.

She nodded, wincing at the motion, before limping towards the tent and leaving him alone. Ritsuka watched her for a few seconds before he was knocked off his feet as an eggplant collided into him at full force. “Senpai!” She shouted while embracing him tight enough to nearly break a rib.

“M-Mash please loosen up.” He coughed.

“Oh sorry!” She loosened up considerably, at least enough for him to breathe, but she did not let go of him fully. “I was so worried about you.” She whispered while embracing him closely.

“It’s alright, I’m safe and I’m okay.” He murmured to her while also embracing her. Her soft hair tickled his chin and the aroma of lavender filled the air. Subconsciously he squeezed her ever so slightly and began to relax, a wave of exhaustion rolling over him as the day caught up with him. “But I think I’ll need sleep.” He sighed.

“It’s okay… I’ll watch over you Senpai.” She whispered while he closed his eyes and slowly fell backwards, his kouhai embracing him as sleep began to claim him.


End file.
